Senior

Software Engineer, Level 3 — Space Resources Program

Los Angeles, US · On-site

Application close date: Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!

This role is part of Advanced Concepts and Enterprise Engineering (ACE), supporting Blue Origin’s mission of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. The team fosters innovation and drives engineering workflows of the future, shared solutions and standards, simplicity and lower costs, and manufacturable design.

In this hands-on, on-site role based at our Los Angeles facility, you will collaborate closely with the Space Resources Program team, owning subsystem-level software scope with minimal day-to-day oversight. We are looking for an experienced, self-motivated software engineer who brings technical expertise, leadership capabilities, and an unwavering commitment to quality and safety. You will communicate technical rationale and risk trade-offs while delivering high-quality software in a safety- and mission-critical environment.

The pace at Blue Origin is brisk, with rapid cycles of design, analysis, and integration aimed at delivering scalable solutions. We need someone who is adaptable, proactive, eager to learn, and uncompromising on safety and quality. Creativity, a spirit of innovation, and the ability to manage changing requirements are key to thriving on our inclusive, open-minded, and forward-thinking team. Passion for our mission is required!

Responsibilities:

Systems Software & Test Infrastructure

Own the design, implementation, and verification of assigned real-time systems and test infrastructure software components (e.g., command handling, telemetry, mode/state management, timing/synchronization, device control, health monitoring, sensor integration).
Develop test infrastructure software to enable robust, real-time, safety-critical operation of multiple subsystems working in parallel.
Implement and verify fault management behaviors for your scope (limit checks, safe responses, retries/timeouts, watchdog patterns, degraded modes) aligned to system hazards and mission objectives.
Deliver configuration-controlled software releases including unit/integration tests, as-built notes, and release documentation.

Operational Software & System Integration

Develop and maintain ground software for commanding, telemetry ingest/display, data archiving, and operator tooling, with an emphasis on reliability and repeatability for continuous operations.
Support end-to-end connectivity and compatibility testing; produce test reports and operator procedures for your scope.
Interface with broader software teams to evaluate existing mission and product architectures and aid in the selection of appropriate software architectures.

Hardware Integration, HIL, and Test Automation

Collaborate with hardware, systems, and quality assurance teams to align software functionality with requirements and perform hardware integration, ensuring robust and safe end-to-end functionality.
Stand up and improve Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) benches and automated regression suites; integrate avionics, instruments, and automated subsystems to enable end-to-end verification.
Lead troubleshooting at the hardware/software interface; perform root-cause analysis on significant anomalies and drive corrective actions to closure with cross-functional partners.

Advanced Algorithms & Autonomy

Contribute to the design, implementation, and integration of advanced algorithms, leveraging AI/ML where appropriate, to support and accelerate autonomy, process optimization, and anomaly detection within safety-critical systems.
Develop or integrate state estimation, planning, and decision-making algorithms to support autonomous and robotic subsystems operating in dynamic physical environments.

Requirements, Interfaces, V&V, and Reviews

Develop and maintain software requirements, acceptance criteria, and interface control documents (ICDs) for owned components; ensure traceability to higher-level system requirements and ConOps.
Contribute to the software V&V plan and verification matrix; execute verification, document results, and support gated reviews and change control with audit-ready artifacts.
Produce technical documentation for software architecture, design, and verification plans.
Ensure compliance with industry safety and certification standards for critical systems.

Collaboration and Execution

Operate in an agile rhythm: provide estimates, support sprint planning and backlog grooming, communicate progress and risks, and coordinate dependencies across systems, GNC, avionics, mission ops, and quality/mission assurance.
Participate in and help raise the bar for code reviews, coding standards, branching/release practices, and test/coverage expectations; mentor junior engineers through reviews and lab support.
Provide input to project managers to help plan, track progress, and adjust scope to meet software goals.
Continuously learn and integrate new technologies and methodologies to enhance development processes and product capabilities.

Minimum Qualifications:

B.S. degree or higher in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, robotics engineering, aerospace engineering, mathematics, physics, or a related field.
5+ years of professional experience delivering embedded, robotics, and/or mission/safety-critical software.
Proficiency in C/C++ (embedded/RTOS/Linux) and Python (tools/automation); strong experience with Git and collaborative development workflows.
Hands-on and theoretical understanding of software and computational science principles, concepts, algorithms, and engineering beyond tool use.
Demonstrated experience with real-time embedded software development concepts (e.g., concurrency, timing, determinism) and robust error handling.
Demonstrated ability to integrate and debug across software, firmware, and hardware boundaries, and to lead root-cause investigations within your scope.
Experience developing or integrating state estimation and planning algorithms for autonomous or robotic systems.
Familiarity with the practical considerations of deploying autonomy in physical systems (sensing, actuation, real-time constraints, failure recovery).
Experience working in a structured environment with requirements, interfaces, verification planning, and test evidence.
Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to present technical rationale and risk trade-offs for peer and senior review, and receptive to the input of others.
Ability to take technical ownership, assist team members as needed, and collaborate to identify and resolve technical problems.
An internal drive to deliver high-quality results, with the ability to seek out requirements and propose solutions.
Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Preferred Qualifications:

M.S. degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, aerospace engineering, mathematics, physics, or a related field.
Experience with simulation-in-the-loop or digital twin approaches for system validation.
Applied experience with real-time operating systems and/or bare-metal embedded systems, including software design, development, and verification.
Embedded systems software experience (command/telemetry frameworks, time synchronization). Bonus for experience with automated test systems, factory automation, or industrial control integration.
Hands-on experience building and operating HIL benches and automated regression in CI/CD; familiarity with static/dynamic analysis and code quality tooling.
Experience implementing or validating fault management approaches informed by hazard analysis, FMECA, or FDIR concepts.
Experience with robotic middleware or messaging frameworks for modular, distributed system communication (e.g., DDS, pub-sub architectures, or equivalent).
Familiarity with secure communications practices and/or implementing cybersecurity controls for mission/ground systems.
Understanding of control logic implementations and the ability to determine which tools are appropriate for a given problem.
Experience with data acquisition systems, measurement theory, and instrumentation and control systems.
Experience debugging low-level (platform and driver) code and/or auto-generated code.
Experience with application performance monitoring and analysis.
Experience using artifact management tools such as DOORS or Jama.

Compensation Range for: CA applicants is $164,652.00 - $230,512.80

Other site ranges may differ

Culture Statement

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Background Check

Required for all positions: Blue’s Standard Background Check
Required for Certain Job Profiles: Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation
Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing (CDL drivers only), vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.
Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre-employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical

Benefits

Benefits include: Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability, 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%, and an Education Support Program.
Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.
Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion. Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified and dedicated work force. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “Know Your Rights,” please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s Affirmative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at EEOCompliance@blueorigin.com. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.